1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector, electronic device and information processing apparatus, and particularly to a connector mounted to an electronic device, and to an electronic device and information apparatus that incorporate an electronic component, e.g., storage media such as a hard disk and semiconductor memory, and are detachably attachable to a main apparatus such as a personal computer.
2. Related Background Art
A conventional electronic device of this type is now described with reference to FIG. 9 to FIG. 12.
Referring to FIG. 9, which shows a perspective view of a conventional electronic device, an electronic device 100 is comprised of an enclosure 102 including an electronic component (not shown), and a connector 101 electrically connected to the electronic component and disposed on a side of the enclosure.
An enclosure 102 has a right guide 102a and left guide 102b on either side, and the connector 101 has a connection terminal 101a electrically connected to a corresponding connector, as well as a right boss 101b and left boss 101c for aligning with the corresponding connector.
As shown in FIG. 9, the connector 101 of the conventional electronic device 100 is smaller in vertical and horizontal outer dimensions than the electronic device enclosure 102, and four sides forming a terminal plane for connecting the connector 101 are not exposed outside the electronic device 100. That is, the connector 101 is constructed so that four sides thereof are covered by the enclosure 102.
In an example shown in FIG. 9, the right guide 102a and left guide 102b are presented in the shape of a groove.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the electronic device 100 that is inserted through a slot of an electronic device connecting apparatus located on the main apparatus.
In FIG. 10, reference numerals 200, 200a, 200b, and 300 denote an electronic device connecting apparatus, an external enclosure of the electronic device connecting apparatus, a slot for the electronic device 100, and an electronic device support component within the electronic device connecting apparatus 200, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 10, the electronic device 100 is oriented toward the electronic device connecting apparatus 200 in a side of the connector 101, inserted through the slot 200a, and then inwardly moved while it is supported by the electronic device support component 300.
FIG. 11 shows how the electronic device 100 is supported by the electronic device support component 300.
It shows in perspective the external enclosure 200a in FIG. 10, and shows a perspective representation of the electronic device support component 300.
FIG. 11 shows a right support guide and left support guide, 300a and 300b respectively, of the electronic device support component 300, a connector 400 on the electronic device connecting apparatus, a main electrical circuit board 401 of the electronic device connecting apparatus, and an electrical component 402 mounted on the main electrical circuit board.
Once the electronic device 100 is inserted into the electronic device support component 300, the right support guide 300a is engaged with the groove of the right guide 102a and the left support guide 300b with the groove of the left guide 102b, the electronic device 100 is then supported in vertical and horizontal directions in relation to the electronic device support component 300 to be inwardly moved.
FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of a connector 400 located on the electronic device connecting apparatus 200 and connected to the connector 101 of the electronic device 100, and reference numerals 400b and 400c denote right and left recesses respectively, and 400a denotes a connection terminal of the connector 400.
The connector 100 is shown aligned in vertical and horizontal directions in relation to the connector 400 by engaging the right boss 101b with the right recess 400b and the left boss 101c with the left recess 400c before or once the connector 100 is connected to the connector 400, so that the connectors are connected to each other.
Because the connector 101 is constructed so that four sides thereof are covered by the enclosure 102 as describe above, supporting the enclosure 102 of the electronic device 100 by the electronic device support component 300 with the respective guide before connectors are connected to each other after the electronic device 100 is inserted, and supporting the connector 101 and connector 400 with each other before making connection, may not allow the connector 101 to be aligned with the connector 400 in the vertical and horizontal directions even when the enclosure 102 is properly supported to align in place by the electronic device support component 300 before making connection, due to the difficulty of centering the connector 101 on the enclosure 102 with a clearance caused by tolerances between each other.
The connectors, therefore, collide with each other, in particular, the right and left bosses, 101b and 101c, of the connector 101 may not be inserted into the right and left recesses, 400b and 400c, of the connector 400.
By tapering or radiusing each edge of the right and left bosses, 101b and 101c, and each inlet of the right and left recesses, 400b and 400c, positions of misaligned connectors may be forced to match. In that case, however, loads and/or stresses on each connector or associated components with the connectors have caused problems such as fatigue failure.
To address these problems, conventional types of the electronic device and electronic device connecting apparatus typically have a predetermined clearance between the electronic device and the electronic device support component 300, and thus the alignment of the connector 101 and the connector 400 has been difficult in terms of dimensions.
The mechanism of conventional products has, however, been based on the assumption that the electronic device is manually inserted and advanced. After the position is corrected, therefore, by stopping the insertion of the electronic device and moving manually the electronic device slightly in vertical and horizontal directions for a fine adjustment once the connectors collide with each other as described above, it is still possible to restart the insertion and allow the alignment bosses of the connector 101 to fit into the recesses of the connector 400.
This means that the prior art requires interrupting the insertion of the electronic device to manually fine adjust the position.
It is expected that many mechanisms will in the future be employed to automatically feed the electronic device by the electronic device connecting apparatus. Automatic feeder mechanisms assuming the adoption of the prior art electronic devices would be hampered by the difficulty of providing a mechanism and controlling it to perform a fine adjustment as manually done as described above, or, if possible, would require complex mechanisms and control.